One’s a massive offensive tackle. The other’s a shifty running back. At first glance, D.J. Fluker and Reggie Bush have little in common. Or they had until Yahoo! Sports released its latest expose on the flourishing underground economy of major college football.

That story raises the disturbing possibility that Fluker could be to Alabama what Bush was to USC.

A player who helped win a national title and then helped lose it because he couldn’t wait until he left school to get paid.

According to the Yahoo! Sports story released Wednesday, former Alabama football player Luther Davis, acting as a middleman for agents and advisers in search of clients, provided extra benefits to five SEC football players.

One of them: Fluker, who finished his college career in January’s BCS Championship Game victory over Notre Dame and in April became a first-round NFL draft pick. The other players were from Mississippi State and Tennessee.

The story says that financial and text message records Yahoo! Sports obtained that belong to Davis “show agents and financial advisers moved at least $45,550 to Davis between September 2011 and December 2012” and that Davis moved “at least $12,700 in cash, airfare, living expenses or other receipts ... to the five players.”

It’s impossible to read the allegations and not flash back to April, when the following message appeared on Fluker's Twitter account: “Yea I took $ n college so wat. I did wat I had to do. Agents was tryin to pimp me so I pimped them. Cast da 1st stone.”

The curious explanation at the time from Fluker’s agent was that someone had hacked his account. The Yahoo! Sports story suggests the tweet may have been an admission of guilt.

As damning as the documents implicating Fluker appear to be, it’s a long way from a well-documented piece of investigative journalism to an NCAA investigation, hearing and ruling, let alone a BCS decision to strip a school of a crystal football.

It happened to USC because the NCAA believed Bush and his family received plenty of extra benefits during his college days and an assistant coach knew about some of the gifts from sports marketing agents who wanted to sign Bush as a client.

Even if Fluker did accept extra benefits before or during the 2012 season and there are documents to prove it, neither he nor Davis can be forced to talk to the NCAA. Even if the documents are enough to satisfy the NCAA that violations occurred, was there any reason for Alabama to know it or suspect it?

There’s one more parallel between the Fluker story and the Bush story. Yahoo! Sports also broke the story about the relationship between Bush and the marketing agents that led to the NCAA probe and the loss of the 2004 BCS title and Bush’s Heisman Trophy.

Alabama fans and all of college football are focused on the DJ Fluker illegal benefits story. Here is the latest information on the DJ Fluker allegations.

Alabama football player DJ Fluker allegedly accepted cash and other benefits from an agent, according to a new report.
First, the University of Alabama knew of the DJ Fluker situation prior to Yahoo Sports asking for comment on the story. According to Alabama’s statement on the DJ Fluker allegations, the university’s compliance was already on the case.
Second, Alabama has a much more professional staff running things now than just a few years ago. Anyone who was around during the time prior to 2007 remembers the constant leaks coming not only from the athletic department but also from the general administration. It makes it much harder to know what is going on, but it does illustrate how much better the entire operation is today thanks to Dr. Witt and Nick Saban.
That said, I reached out to a source familiar with coaching in the SEC, and was told that there is concern about the personalities involved in this story.
Third, Yahoo’s Pat Forde is obviously upset he is no longer with ESPN. His shot at ESPN and sensationalist attack on Nick Saban amount to journalistic malpractice. Forde’s piece on Saban is laughable in its attempt to tie Saban’s press conference attitude to a concern about the story. This is not exactly news, but Saban is somewhat irritable any day of the week and even more so before a big game. Forde’s anger at ESPN reveals a deeply envious reporter that cannot let go his anger at a previous employer. Forde’s column was an overreach that tainted the entire Yahoo editorial process.
Fourth, any Alabama fan that frequents al.com or listens to WJOX’s local morning programming should know they are helping enemies of the program. If the morning crew did anything but deliver Auburn talking points, it might be worth tuning in; however, now, Alabama fans should cease putting dollars into the pockets of people with an anti-Alabama agenda. Be smart consumers.
Lastly, Alabama fans must remember that, as of yet, there are no allegations of institutional misconduct. Furthermore, there are no indications the information used in the Yahoo report will be provided to the University or the NCAA by the “source.” This element will bear further watching as Alabama and the SEC investigate.